A north Cork family, who wish to remain anonymous, received an unwelcome phone call. A friend rang to tell the farmer that the shed in which his 50 calves were housed was engulfed by flames.

The farmer’s son told the Irish Farmers Journal that they both hopped in the jeep straight away and drove the kilometre or so from the house to the shed.

“The shed was on fire and the wind, which would usually come from the back, was blowing the flames into the entrance,” he said. “Because it’s an open shed we had put some hay bales near the entrance to keep the wind from the calves a few days earlier but these were all on fire when we got there.”

The calves were terrified and racing all over the place

Both father and son jumped into action with the father getting into the lorry that was parked in the shed and was starting to melt. The son went in to try to herd the calves out of the shed but some were already dead.

“The calves were terrified and racing all over the place, he said. “The whole experience was very upsetting.”

The fire brigade was called and came out within 40 minutes to put out the fire but the family did not get to bed until 4am.

Salvaging

The father and son managed to save 16 of the 50 calves that were caught in the fire but three out of the 16 later died from their injuries.

The calves were aged between four and six weeks.

The son said the shed is still standing but most of the perspex is melted and the side wall and galvanised roof is cracked. The mobile tank that was in the shed was also destroyed in the fire.

Our friends and family have been brilliant since it happened

“The insurance company is looking at the situation now so we’re hoping we can get some answers there as to how the fire started,” he said.

“Whatever compensation we get won’t make up for the loss of the calves but it will go some way towards getting us back on an even keel again. It was a terrible experience and my father is still very shook by it. But our friends and family have been brilliant since it happened,” he added.

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